BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 Democratic and Republican voters will head to the polls Tuesday to pick their candidates for the 2026 midterm elections, setting up high-profile races in November.<\/p>\n
With no one opposing them on the ballot, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Treasurer Stacy Garrity are all but assured of carrying the Democratic and Republican nominations in the gubernatorial races. <\/p>\n
But down-ballot campaigns have the potential to shape critical races that could influence state and national politics.<\/p>\n
There are no local contested Republican primaries in Lehigh or Northampton counties. <\/p>\n
The only choice Republican voters will face is in the lieutenant governor’s race, where Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey faces author and conspiracy theorist John Ventre. <\/p>\n
The position’s main responsibilities are to break ties in state Senate and to lead the state should the governor resign or become incapacitated.<\/p>\n
But local Democrats will have more decisions to make. <\/p>\n
Chief among them is in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District’s four-way primary. The race has drawn national attention and could turn into a nail-biter. <\/p>\n
A clerical error in Lehigh County’s Voter Registration office has complicated matters. <\/p>\n
The county inadvertently used a year-old voter list to send mail-in ballots, meaning thousands of people who didn’t request a ballot received one and about 100 people who switched parties were sent the wrong one. <\/p>\n
While county officials have worked to notify people of the error, the mistake has the potential to lead to litigation if results are close in any of the races.<\/p>\n
7th Congressional District<\/p>\n
While the governor’s race is at the top of the ballot, the most consequential contest may be the Lehigh Valley’s congressional race. <\/p>\n
It’s regarded as among the most competitive swing seats in the country, and both parties have already invested millions of dollars into the campaign this cycle.<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie is running unopposed in the Republican primary for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, but four Democrats are locked in a tight race for the opportunity to challenge him in November.<\/p>\n
The district represents all of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, plus a sliver of Monroe County.<\/p>\n
Firefighter union boss Bob Brooks<\/a> has campaigned on his blue-collar roots, saying he’s the candidate best equipped to connect with working-class voters who have backed President Donald Trump in recent years. <\/p>\n He’s drawn endorsements from Democrats with national profiles, including Shapiro, former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. <\/p>\n However, he’s also been dogged by litigation<\/a>, problematic social media posts and missteps on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n Former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell<\/a> has made fighting corruption within the Trump administration a central tenet of his campaign. <\/p>\n He’s presented himself to voters as the only candidate who has already stood up to Trump \u2014 he testified before Congress about Trump’s decision to drop corruption charges against then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams. <\/p>\n Crosswell’s opponents, though, have questioned his place in the race. Crosswell was a Republican as recently as December 2024 and moved to the Lehigh Valley last year, only weeks before launching his campaign.<\/p>\n Lamont McClure<\/a> is the only Democratic candidate who’s held public office before; he served two terms as executive of bellwether Northampton County and 10 years on county council. <\/p>\n While his name recognition will be an asset in the race, he’s struggled to raise funding. <\/p>\n County officials also have criticized his handling of Gracedale<\/a>, the county home. It’s operating on a provisional license because of the county’s struggles to have enough nurses at the Upper Nazareth Township facility.<\/p>\n Carol Obando-Derstine’s<\/a> identity as the only woman and Latina in the field provides her inroads with the Democratic voters.<\/p>\n She’s highlighted her time working for former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, argued her career training gives her a leg up in addressing rising energy prices and boasts the support of former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley. <\/p>\n Obando-Derstine’s campaign has avoided many of the criticisms that muddied her opponents at times, but she’s also struggled to find funding in an expensive primary race.<\/p>\n All four<\/a> candidates engaged in three<\/a> debates over the past month<\/a>. <\/p>\n In addition, Crosswell, McClure and Obando-Derstine participated in “PA-7 Talks,” a five-part series<\/a> by Lehigh Valley Public Media in which the candidates tackled questions on different subjects in one-on-one interviews. <\/p>\n The closing days of the race have seen mysterious outside groups spend dark money on mailers and commercials promoting McClure. <\/p>\n One such group has been linked to Republican fundraising, and all four candidates have denounced the interference<\/a>.<\/p>\n 16th Senate District<\/p>\n With President Donald Trump’s popularity waning in public polls, Pennsylvania Democrats are optimistic they may be able to flip the state Senate for the first time since the 1990s. <\/p>\n If they’re going to pull it off, the path may go through Pennsylvania’s 16th state Senate District, which represents parts of Lehigh County and the northern half of Bucks County.<\/p>\n Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by 22,578 voters in the 16th District, but last year’s general election saw Democratspull off landslide victories<\/a>. <\/p>\n If Democrats can repeat that performance, it could put the 16th District in play.<\/p>\n State Sen. Jarrett Coleman is running unopposed in the Republican Party as he seeks a second term. <\/p>\n The Democratic primary pits Pennridge School Board Director Bradley Merkl-Gump against Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley. They faced off in a debate televised on PBS39 in late April.<\/p>\n 22nd state House District<\/p>\n Political drama has surrounded the 22nd state House District since incumbent Josh Siegel resigned in December to become Lehigh County executive. <\/p>\n State and local Democrats snubbed Allentown City Councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach and eventually nominated Allentown School Board Director Ana Tiburcio to run in February’s special election, even though Tiburcio didn’t apply for the position. <\/p>\n Tiburcio won the election but now faces Gerlach in the primary as the women seek a full two-year term. <\/p>\n The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face Republican Robert Smith Jr., who is running unopposed on primary day.<\/p>\n